Nelly Littlehale Murphy papers, 1846-1945

Collection Information

Size: 0.2 Linear feet

Summary: Clippings, exhibition catalogs, and photographs documenting Murphy's work as a painter and illustrator in the Massachusetts area. The clippings are comprised of reviews for Nelly Murphy and her husband, painter Hermann Dudley Murphy, and his 1945 obituary. The exhibtion catalogs, many of them illustrated, range from 1846 (National Academy of Design catalog inscribed to Murphy) to 1942 (her memorial exhibition). Photographs depict paintings and Murphy and her husband. Other materials consist of an original pencil sketch, 4 reproductions, a 4 page inventory of her paintings, a 1941 letter inventorying her work, and a short original essay entitled "The Land That Never Was".

Biographical/Historical Note

Born 1867, died ca. 1942. Painter, illustrator, and etcher, noted for her watercolor paintings of landscapes and flowers. Lived and exhibited in the Massachusetts area. Nellie Littlehale married Herman Daniel Umbstaetter in 1893. In 1916, she married again, to painter Hermann Dudley Murphy.

Provenance

The donors, Alexander B. Samoiloff and Dudley D. B. Samoiloff, are the sons of Nelly Littlehale Murphy's stepdaughter, Caroline Bowles Murphy Samoiloff.

Restrictions on Access

Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C., Research Center. Contact Reference Services for more information.

How to Cite This Collection

Nelly Littlehale Murphy papers, 1846-1945. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.